FROM READERS: Recipes from Columbia Raw Food Feasters

The Columbia Raw Food Feasters is a group that pursues health with raw food ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They prefer food that is not heated to more than 118 degrees.

The Columbia Raw Food Feasters has been meeting every month for a nutritious potluck since the spring of 2008. Attendees are from all ages and stages in life who share a commitment to enhancing their own health and caring for other creatures and the planet that we all share. Some members of the group maintain a diet high in raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, where nothing is heated to more than 118 degrees. Others among us are inquiring or investigating the raw food lifestyle, gradually adding more of these nutrient dense foods into their eating plans.

Pine and macadamia nuts combine to give this cheese an earthy and creamy flavor.

1 cup pine nuts, soaked at least 2 hours

2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked at least 2 hours

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh parsley

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup filtered water, as needed

1. Drain and rinse pine nuts and macadamia nuts. Place nuts in a food processor, and blend on high speed for 10 seconds.

2. Add rosemary, parsley, thyme, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and vinegar. Blend on high speed for 10-15 more seconds, adding water or rejuvelac as needed to get a moist but crumbly consistency. Serve with lasagnas or stuffed into vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms and bell peppers. This cheese makes and intriguing dip with flax crackers.

MEDITERRANEAN KALE

Yield: 1 serving (For a crowd, I used 2 heads of kale and quadrupled the other ingredients. That makes a nice big bowlful to take to a dinner, and it keeps well as a leftover.)

(When kale is cut into thin strips and marinated in a dressing, it develops a soft and juicy texture.)

4 kale leaves, stems removed

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt (sea salt is best)

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon raw pine nuts

1 tablespoon sliced black olives

Dash black pepper (optional)

Stack 2 of the kale leaves with the stem end facing you. Fold in half lengthwise, and roll tightly like a cigar. Slice crosswise into thin strips. Repeat with the remaining 2 leaves. Chop the kale strips crosswise a few times, so they aren’t too long. Place in a mixing bowl along with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Toss well with your hands, working the dressing into the greens. Add the red bell pepper, pine nuts, and olives and toss gently. Marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Season to taste with black pepper, if desired. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Mediterranean kale will keep for three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

— From "Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People" by Jennifer Cornbleet

RAW FUDGE BALLS

Rich enough to satisfy the most passionate chocoholic.

2 cups dates, pitted and soaked

2 cups raw almond butter

1/2 cup raw carob powder

With a food processor, blend the dates to a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Remove from processor and form into round balls.

Note: These will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

— From "Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen

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